Denver Broncos: KJ Hamler injury severity revealed

Denver Broncos wide receiver KJ Hamler tore his ACL on Sunday and is out for the rest of the 2021 season, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Monday.

Hamler went down awkwardly on his left knee in the Denver Broncos’ 26-0 win over the New York Jets. After Teddy Bridgewater floated a high pass in his direction, Hamler leapt up, hoping to come down with the ball over nearby Jets defensive backs, and he was unable to stick the landing. His knee appeared to buckle on his way down in what was a scary non-contact injury, one that looked gruesome enough that the television broadcast did not show a replay.

Hamler was initially labeled as questionable to return after being helped to the Denver Broncos sidelines, but that distinction was soon downgraded to out. Hamler underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the knee injury. He had just one catch for 28 yards on Sunday, but it was a huge gain for the Broncos — early in the first quarter, Denver was able to break the game’s stalemate with a touchdown after Hamler extended the possession on third-and-9. He had caught his only target on that third-down play, good for a 28-yard gain.

Hamler’s injury could decimate an already weakened Broncos receiving corps. Denver lost second-year wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to a high ankle sprain after the Broncos’ Week 2 victory over the Giants, and Jeudy is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

Hamler is entering his second NFL season, both with the Denver Broncos. Through three games and two starts in 2021, he has five receptions for 74 yards. As a rookie in 2020, Hamler started four of the 13 games in which he appeared, hauling in 30 receptions for 371 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns; additionally, he took nine rushing attempts for 40 rushing yards.

A 5-foot-9, 178-pound wide receiver from Pontiac, Michigan, Hamler spent three years at Penn State before the Denver Broncos selected him in the second round, with the 46th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. While at Penn State, Hamler was forced to redshirt his true freshman year in 2017 after suffering a torn ACL the year prior. In his redshirt freshman season, Hamler was named to the freshman All-American team as a kick returner after averaging 26.2 yards per return and serving a variety of roles for Penn State. His best year came in 2019, when he hauled in 56 receptions for 904 passing yards and eight touchdowns.

Hamler in 2019 was a second team All-Big Ten honoree for Penn State. He finished his career with 98 receptions for 1,658 yards, 13 touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in two seasons as a starting wide receiver.